Meet digital
Culture is everything. In digital, we believe that shifting our culture to focus on user needs will help make government work better for people.
We also believe in people: of all abilities, types, origins, geographies and generations.
That’s why the first step in our change journey starts with people—because the unique skills we each have and the small things we do, as individuals, have incredible power when tied together across an organization as a whole.
So, who are the digital people stirring it up inside government?
Some weeks ago, we set out to find seven new recruits to help us figure out how to deliver simpler, clearer, faster services (aka, the Digital Government team). These seven will work alongside other totally awesome people already here—building, coding, designing, writing and running Ontario.ca, the sickest platform inside this government (also our official website).
By no means are we the only ones working to make change happen. We know (and love) many others, across government, who are also devoted to digital transformation. We’ll bring their voices to you, too, through guest posts on this blog.
Because no one single person (or team) could possibly possess all of the magic needed to deliver on this change mission. Each one of us brings something special to the mix. And that’s why we took a different approach to finding our new recruits. Call it, assembling the Avengers, or a rad Rogue Squadron (both sound right). I like to emphasize that we looked for 3Ds to make an A Team: diversity, dreaming, doing.
In digital, we invite all kinds of perspectives to our work; people variety is value (We are diverse). We are not scared to conceive of new possibilities (We are dreamers). And when we have an idea, we start from not knowing what will ultimately work; instead, we test our assumptions on real people and never stop iterating as we learn (We are seekers and doers, the scientific way).
Below, you’ll find some of the diverse digital dreamers and doers getting things done—whether on the existing Ontario.ca teams or the new digital government team. (With gorgeous team photos taken by Rolando Henry.) All are awesome and we are so grateful to have them. We’d also love to get to know you, too, so drop us a line any time. We’re here to listen and learn.
The content team is laser-focused on making government information easy to understand and use. But we’re more than a crew of web writers and editors. We’re investigators who work through complex information so the public doesn’t have to. We’re architects who transform walls of words into content that pops. And we’re activators who inspire colleagues across government to deliver an awesome online experience for the people of Ontario.
Team strategy’s role is to transform digital ideas into plans of action. Our challenge is to connect, inspire and help teams across the government to consistently improve and transform digital experience. We draw strength from agile powers, iterating project plans and processes to deliver swiftly.
The user experience team are the awesome cats responsible for making government info easy. We design, code, edit, collect details, highlight important stuff, and remove barriers so that people can find the information they need, when they need it. It takes commitment to continuous improvement through learning and iteration. We conduct tests, research and gather data to understand user needs, motivations, and emotions.
It’s all really hard work. And if we’re doing it right, people won’t even notice.
The development and operations team are a group of hackers and engineers using the latest technologies to free people from the Matrix and build a better web.
The digital government team (aka, the new recruits) designs government digital services that put people first and that are user-friendly—including designing the policies, procedures, standards, and processes that will bring digital-by-default to government decision-making and service delivery.
